John Lewis: The Star of Christmas Marketing! Department store chain John Lewis is wellknown for high quality customer service and a price promise to be \"never knowingly undersold". Recently it has also become known for its popular annual Christmas television adverts, the release of which is widely anticipated by stakeholders, including customers, the media and competitors. These adverts, which usually launch in early November each year, act as a key driver of customer visits to stores and John Lewis' online store during the crucial Christmas trading period. Each advert aims to be memorable and thought-provoking. The 2016 advert, featuring a trampoline- bouncing boxer dog called Buster, was more lighthearted than previous campaigns. "Man on the Moon\" in 2015 highlighted the issue of social isolation amongst the elderly whereas, \"Monty the Penguin\" in 2014 was a real tearjerker. John Lewis believes that its main competition does not come from other department store chains like Debenhams or House of Fraser, but from online brands, particularly Amazon. Unlike Amazon, which is seen by many as emotionless, corporate and impersonal, John Lewis aims to differentiate itself by creating an emotional attachment between customers and its brand. The 2016 advertising campaign helped create this customer attachment; customers visiting a store could meet Buster through a virtual reality headset or connect with Buster on Snapchat, Twitter or on the John Lewis website. This multichannel marketing approach gave customers the opportunity to share emotions, memories and at the same time connect with the values of the John Lewis brand, ultimately helping the business to build on the competitive advantage which it already holds in the market